newbie honey extractor quick question

[fullframe45]

Looking to buy a 4 frame extractor but the choice is vast.I have read millets posts and pargyle re a certain model and that sounds pretty good .But has anyone any comments on the maismore 4 frame manual one.

 

[pargyle]

Still pleased with mine .. it's enough for the amount of supers I usually have to extract from between 6 and 8 hives. Any more colonies and I think I would be looking for a bigger one with a motor. It has not rusted, works as it always did - probably not the best quality extractor on the planet but it depends on what you are seeking for your future beekeeping. There comes a point where the price/effiiciency ratio needs to be considered. I'm not there yet but the day may come - to be honest, with the way they have gone up in price I can probably get nearly as much selling it second hand as I paid for it new.

Having looked at Maisies four frame .. I'm not sure I'd want to use one without a stand though ?

 

[fullframe45]

Thanks pargyle ,i have only 3 hives and as a hobby will keep to 5 ish. It was the stand model i was considering but not sure about the gearing cogs ,on the picture they look like plastic or nylon. There are too many to choose from and most described as velly strong . No offence.

 

[whizzwheels]

I bought the maisemore 4 frame extractor 10 years ago and it's still going strong but mine has metal gears and it benefits from having the legs bolted to a wooden pallet when extracting if the frames have different amounts of honey in them otherwise it skips accross the floor. I usually have 3 or 4 hives so copes ok, but not sure about the plastic/ nylon gears but they all seem to come with them these days.

 

[Ian123]

Extracting can be fun for about five minutes, I would always suggest getting the biggest you think practical and electric if you can. There’s some very good priced 1s around atm.

 

[fullframe45]

Thanks Ian thats good to know .Lots on the auction site from out of the country ,but lots of bad feedback also at least with the maismore one i would have contact with a person in uk

 

[fullframe45]

Thanks whizzwheels Just found my correct reding glasses.

 

[madasafish]

I bought a Maisie one s/hand
https://www.bees-online.co.uk/detail.asp?ID=570&name=4-Frame-Extractor-with-Filter-and-Tank

It was great for 150lb honey - manual but bearable.
Next year I extracted double that- a real pia.. hard work..

I sold it for my purchase price (half new) and bought a Park 4 frame radial electric s/hand..
https://www.parkbeekeeping.com/product/4-frame-radial-honey-extractor-2/
Made an awful difference..
(again half new price)

I would recommend both..

(both on ebay and I travelled miles to collect in March when fewer were buying)

 

[Ian123]

Thanks Ian thats good to know .airLots on the auction site from out of the country ,but lots of bad feedback also at least with the maismore one i would have contact with a person in uk

Sorry did not mean some random internet purchase but from the main U.K. suppliers, contact is much preferable for parts/repair

 

[enrico]

I bought a thornes one 30 years ago. Three frame manual with plastic gears. The beauty is that it takes brood as well as super frames which can be really useful. Still use it every year. I find it therapeutic spinning frames out.... Sad git!
We

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes. Whatever you buy get one that takes brood frames.

 

[Fritillary]

Have just had my first go at extraction, with a 4 frame manual one. So far so good!
Well I'm not sure how fast you're expected to go & therefore how dry others manage to get their 'wet supers' before return to bees, but at any rate the super is a lot lighter and the extractor a lot heavier now and the frames, w/o wires and in some cases w/o foundation, survived.

- So far I'm glad I got a steel extractor with settling tank below. And yes, it will take brood frames.

 

[XYZ]

I purchased this:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/231716225660?ul_noapp=true

The second time I used it, the gears started skipping when driving it in one direction. I had to remove the top assembly and connect my cordless drill to the basket shaft and hold it straight while spinning with the drill.
I'm now working on a modification to it so I can fix my drill straight on the top - thankfully in my line of work I know a few machinists so can get custom pieces made to retrofit this thing...


I'm also tempted to go for one of the Abelo motorised extractors - around £500-600? I'd post a link but their site seems to be down.

It's not just a case of "buy cheap, buy twice" - add to this the chew on, the stickiness, the time...

 

[enrico]

Is it radial or tangential? Radial is with them from the centre out. If tangential then they need turning a couple of times. Either way you can go fast if wired frames.
Don't get it too heavy as you have to lift it to jar your honey up!
E

 

[Erichalfbee]

Is it radial or tangential? Radial is with them from the centre out. If tangential then they need turning a couple of times. Either way you can go fast if wired frames.
Don't get it too heavy as you have to lift it to jar your honey up!
E

You jar your honey from your extractor ?

 

[enrico]

No but he said he had a settling tank below which I presumed was part of the extractor. Maybe I misunderstood!

 

[Fritillary]

Is it radial or tangential? Radial is with them from the centre out. If tangential then they need turning a couple of times. Either way you can go fast if wired frames.
Don't get it too heavy as you have to lift it to jar your honey up!
E

Thanks. It's tangential, and I did turn them a couple of times - I must have read a post about doing that- and it seemed to work fine. I'm hoping that a bit slower but longer will hit the spot!
Yes, indeed, I've been made cautious about the lifting thing since the first time I had to heft a heavy fermentation vessel from the floor onto a chair (no question of anything higher) in order to bottle beer...

But come to think of it I can detach the filter & tank from the extractor of course! (It probably isn't called a settling tank but a collecting tank perhaps?)

 

[sean-a]

Get a radial one. I found that I was always breaking comb with a tangential one.
You get them nicely cranked up and then bang....comb splattered all over the sidewall.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Thanks. It's tangential, and I did turn them a couple of times - I must have read a post about doing that- and it seemed to work fine. I'm hoping that a bit slower but longer will hit the spot!
Yes, indeed, I've been made cautious about the lifting thing since the first time I had to heft a heavy fermentation vessel from the floor onto a chair (no question of anything higher) in order to bottle beer...

But come to think of it I can detach the filter & tank from the extractor of course! (It probably isn't called a settling tank but a collecting tank perhaps?)

Sounds like you have a Maisies extractor with built in filter/settling tank

 

[Erichalfbee]

No but he said he had a settling tank below which I presumed was part of the extractor. Maybe I misunderstood!

Ah. That explains it.